What happened to the water?

[Rob]

There seems to be some basic confusion regarding the water and sewage issues in Negril. Contrary to some of the uninformed opinions out there, the sewage in Negril is treated by the Negril Waste Water Treatment Plant and has been since 1998. This past February there was a $278 million improvement project for the existing plant that was funded by the Government of Jamaica and the European Union.

Here are the links to some further information:

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/116/16826?mode=redirect

http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/ja...s/18966_en.htm

http://www.water-technology.net/news/news109409.html

[Yvonne]

There seems to be some basic confusion regarding the water and sewage issues in Negril. Contrary to some of the uninformed opinions out there, the sewage in Negril is treated by the Negril Waste Water Treatment Plant and has been since 1998. This past February there was a $278 million improvement project for the existing plant that was funded by the Government of Jamaica and the European Union.

Here are the links to some further information:

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/116/16826?mode=redirect

http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/ja...s/18966_en.htm

http://www.water-technology.net/news/news109409.html

Thank you Rob. A tourist asked me about the water yesterday, figuring that as a long timer I'd know what the story was. I told him but he didn't want to believe me. He swore it had to have waste. I told him that if he'd looked at the water when it came in he would have seen that along w/ the discoloration, many leaves come in too, nothing more sinister.

[Lola]

Folks should read the links and make their own determinations. The content is brief, easy to read.

The 1st link is 4 sentences about the improvement project taking place in Negril, stated as being for the purpose of preserving the coastal environment and the living organisms in the sea.

The 2nd link includes information that a study in 2002 evaluating the original project (which was completed in 1998 and included a wastewater treatment plant in Ocho Rios) found deficiencies in both the collection and treatment systems of the projects, and provided recommendations for improvement. In 2005 another study was performed, some aspects of which was to determine if the findings and recommendations of the 2002 study were valid.

Here is a link from the National Water Commission's website providing more detail about the project in Negril. The Chairman of the NWC is quoted in the article, that the conditions and quality of sea water, aquatic life and sanitary conditions are expected to be improved by the project. http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/116-water...plant-underway

The 3rd link (above) is about the quality of drinking water in Jamaica, which is definitely one of the great things about vacationing in or considering a move to Jamaica.

[RockRobster]

Maybe I am not understanding this issue very well. 1.The run-off from heavy rains in the hills/mountains flows into the Negril River and out into the ocean, causing that brown water issue, correct? 2.The run-off is not treated prior to entering the Negril River and the river is not treated prior to flowing into the ocean, correct? If 1 and 2 are correct, then it would seem inevitable that there would be biological contaminants(human and animal), organic contaminants and inorganic contaminants in the run-off, unless Negril treats stormwater run-off, which I doubt that they do. Nothing in those links pointed towards stormwater treatment, only waste water treatment. Certainly waste treatment is vital to improving the sea quality because the effluence from the waste treatment has to go somewhere and that would be into the river/ocean. In many US cities, stormwater run-off is not treated prior to being directed into the ocean. If you ever look at at storm drains in coastal cities, you will see signage indicating "Flows Directly to Ocean/Sea". When it is treated, it is usually by impoundment in retention ponds, etc...not by going to the wastewater treatment facility.

[Rob]

The waste water treatment is a separate issue from storm run-off water. But many people confuse the two as was asked here earlier. I wanted to clarify the point that waste water is and has been treated at the current treatment plant since 1998.

The storm run-off waters are the same as with many US cities and coastal cities world-wide. This rain water run-off has nothing to do with the water treatment plant waters as RockRobster pointed out and is a typical situation.

But while the brown water in the sea can be caused by storm run-off water, that is not always the case. At times of high seas and high tides, when the tide goes back out, the same thing can happen to the sea. The Negril River water has always had a dark brown tint to it. This is one of the possible reasons why Negril was named Negril by the Spanish. There are three possible reasons.

One theory has to do with the black eels that were found in the Negril River hundreds of years ago that was mentioned in a thread here not long ago. The second theory has to do with the dark cliff face of the West End which is visible from the sea. The third theory has to do with the dark brown color of the Negril River. The Spanish documented this hundreds of years ago as well. The tree leaves and other vegetation lining the river turns the sun warmed shallow river water brown, just as tea leaves do in a cup of warm water.

The tea colored water of Negril River is the ultimate cause of the brown water in the sea issue.

[shellyk]

Wow this is all really deep!! LOL Thanks for all the informative posts guys.

[smith744]

the above mention of *high-tides & high-seas* going in & out reminds me of something-something

ONCE upon a time, after sitting-in & using the restroom @ a Negril beachfront establishment
i mentioned to management that the toilet didn't flush properly
...i.e., stuff still in the bowl

dem-SAY::>> "..no problem .... 'twill be all-good when the tide goes out.."

[Vince]

^^^^^^^^smith744 1st post!!!!!!!!Welcome back!!

[Honey518]

Welcome back Mr.Smith!

[Bnewb]

dem-SAY::>> "..no problem .... 'twill be all-good when the tide goes out.."

You took that seriously... !